The invention relates to a device for the releasable securing of containers for the sorted storage of tools and/or tool parts, on a base of, in particular, a drawer, the base itself or an underlay arranged between the container and the base possessing securing elements or recesses for fixing the container, and the container base possessing counter-elements for these securing elements or recesses.
In many cases in everyday life and in industrial sectors, articles are used which are sorted. Although reference is primarily made below to tools and/or tool parts, the present invention is not intended to be restricted thereto. It applies to a very large number of articles.
FR-A 2 254 193 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,180 have disclosed, for example, card-index boxes in which index cards or even files can be stacked obliquely. The same also applies to U.S. Pat. No. 1,900,148.
For tools, tool chests are known, such as are described, for example, inter alia in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,556. These tool chests possess pegboards, into the holes of which hooks can be inserted. These hooks then serve to retain the corresponding tools.
If, for example, articles are laid in drawers, those articles move, often to an undesirable extent, when the drawers and opened and closed. This applies in particular to the abovementioned tools, such as drills, milling cutters, etc, which are sorted by size or other particular parameters. Thus, known tool chests already include containers with depressions or the like in which these tools lie. In most cases, however, these tool chests are arranged far from a machine in which these tools are used. In other words, the user firstly locates the tool in the tool chest and then fits that tool to the machine. If he discovers at the machine, however, that the tool is not the right tool, he must return to the tool chest and fetch, for example, a tool of a different diameter. This takes time and is undesirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,458 has in turn disclosed a chest in which two drawers are provided. Inserted into the upper drawer is an underlay from which obliquely positioned strips project downward, on which, for example, a container can be placed which in turn possesses channels on the base side. The container serves, for example, to receive files.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,970 has disclosed an arrangement in which measuring instruments are secured on a perforated base. The securing is provided by angular plug-in frames.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device of the type referred to above with which the containers can be kept cleanly sorted and do not become mixed up, and in which the user can take a plurality of required containers with him.
The foregoing object is achieved in that pegs, as securing elements, or the recesses are arranged symmetrically and at a uniform distance apart on the base or underlay, and in that either projections projecting downwards from the container base are inserted between the pegs or into the recesses or recesses are molded into the container base, into which the pegs engage.
This means that the container no longer slides backwards and forwards on the base of, for example, a drawer, thus creating the risk that containers will become mixed up. In the simplest example of embodiment, the elements of the base or underlay can also engage into one another for securing purposes. Thus, a part could be cut off from the underlay and adhesively bonded to a container, the elements projecting downwards from the container. The container is then placed on the underlay, the elements engaging into one another. This is designed, in particular, for a pocket calculator, a gauge block or a weight box.
The containers possess individual depressions or compartments which are formed, in each case, in accordance with the design of the article. If, for example, drills are stored, the container should consist of an integral injection molding in which elongate depressions with rounded-off depression walls are molded. This also greatly facilitates the removal of the drill, which can be pushed out of the depression with one finger.
An essential part of the present invention is the design of the base or of the abovementioned underlay. For example, this underlay may be a plate-shaped element which is laid in, for example, a drawer of a tool chest. The disadvantage here is that drawers of tool chests are not standardized and may be of different sizes, so that often one part of the drawer base is not covered by the plate-shaped element. For this reason, in a preferred example of embodiment of the present invention, a flexible material, preferably capable of being rolled up, is used for the underlay. The preferable material here is a plastic, which can be rolled up to form a roll. The user then merely needs to unroll a section from the roll to suit the size of the drawer and cut it off, so that he can line the drawer completely with the underlay, as is preferable.
As a connecting element, many designs are suitable. In the simple example of embodiment, projections are provided on the underlay which interact with corresponding container walls and/or recesses and/or projections in or on the container or the container base. The projections of the underlay may be LEGO-type cylindrical plugs on which or between which the container is laid.
Conversely, however, it is also possible to form recesses in the underlay into which downward projections from the container base then engage. For example, these projections may be spherical elements which then, in the position of use, rest in a corresponding cup-shaped depression.
In a preferred example of embodiment, annular projections project downward from the container base and, when the container is placed on the underlay, engage between four pegs. The actual mounting of the container on the underlay is provided, however, by peripheral side walls, so that the projections on the container base may actually be dispensed with. The side walls enclose a receiving window which is so designed that it extends tangentially around corresponding pegs on the underlay.
Should annular projections exist between the side walls of the container, these preferably do not extend beyond the lower marginal edge of the side walls, so that the container stands on the outer side walls even if the underlay is removed.
The advantage of this design is that not merely an article from the container but the whole container can be removed from the drawer with a large number of sorted tools and transported to the machine. The selection is then made at the machine to determine which tool is specifically required. Considerable movement is saved by this.
With many tools, the containers do not need to be very thick in shape, so that a plurality of containers can also be stacked one above the other in a drawer. In order that these should likewise be secured in the drawer, the surface of the container will again be provided with projections or recesses into which downward projections from the container base or recesses molded into the container base then engage.
In a preferred example of embodiment of the invention, the projections are distributed over the marginal edges of the containers in such a way that any desired variant of stackability is possible. Many conceivable possibilities exist for this, and the present invention is intended to, encompass them. Furthermore, the projections on the marginal edges of the containers preferably form a different system from the securing system of the underlay or the base.
The overall arrangement of the projections and recesses is selected so that the containers can be placed in a drawer not only in one alignment but also in the alignment rotated through 90xc2x0 relative thereto. Accordingly, the projections and recesses are symmetrically arranged. This also applies, naturally, to the projections or recesses on the surface or marginal edge of each container.
Furthermore, the possibility has also been considered of arranging the projections and recesses in particular configurations so that only containers from a particular manufacturer can be used. The same also applies to a diameter of the projections and recesses and to their height or depth. Also, projections could be used that are larger in the lower region or the recesses could be made larger so that they can be more easily located by the projections when the containers are inserted.
In some cases, it is also important for the underlay to be adapted to a drawer size or the like. In these cases, it may become necessary for a section to be cut off from the underlay and, possibly, placed at another point in the drawer. A special cutting aid is provided for this cutting-off operation, which greatly facilitates it in a simple manner. In the preferred example of embodiment, the cutting aid consists of a strip whose width approximately corresponds to the distance apart of the pegs on the underlay. The strip contains a slit into which a cutting tool can be inserted.
The strip can now be passed between the pegs, together with the cutting tool, so that the cutting tool remains in line. The section to be cut off is then broken, for example, over the edge of a table.
In a preferred example of embodiment, the cutting aid is also simultaneously designed as a template for matching a connection piece to the underlay. The pegs of the connecting piece should be aligned with the pegs of the underlay so that precise positioning of the containers can be achieved.
Also provided on the strip for this purpose is a cover strip in which marginal depressions are formed which maintain a distance apart from one another corresponding to the distance between the pegs on the underlay.
In order to enable this cutting aid and template to be usable for both functions, the strip of the cutting aid should possess a height at least corresponding to the height of the pegs on the underlay. If the cutting aid is then used as a cutting aid, the cover strip passes over the pegs. If the cutting aid is used as a template, it merely needs to be twisted so that the pegs engage into the depressions.
For some examples of application, it has proven advisable to form the container from a plurality of parts so that its length is matched to an article to be received. Therefore, for example, the container consists of two end pieces between which one middle piece is provided. This middle piece is matched to the length of the article. A plurality of middle pieces may also be provided.
To identify the inserted articles, an indicator should preferably be assigned to the container. This indicator can also display the state of wear of the inserted articles, as is described for example in DE 296 02 136 U1.
In a simple example of embodiment, a plate has hook-shaped extensions whereby it is hooked into an upper marginal edge of the side wall of the container. In order to prevent the plate being lost, these hook-shaped projections should possess barbs. If the plate is to be removed or replaced, it is merely necessary to lift the plate so that a predetermined breaking point, provided between the plate and the hook-shaped extension, breaks.